J Korean Acad Fam Med.  1997 Jan;18(1):85-85.

Women's Practice and the Result of Pap Smear

• Choi HS
• Hong KE
• Choi HR

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Pap smear is well known as a useful method for early detection of the cervical cancer and known to be widely performed by women. But the cervical cancer is the most common cancer in Korean women until now. So we surveyed to find out the status of womens practice and the result of Pap smear.
METHODS
A questionnaire was filled up by the 270 women who had taken Pap smear from June to July in 1994 at the department of family medicine of Kyung Hee Medical Center. The family physicians gynecological findings at Pap srnear and the results of Pap smear were obtained. Af ter then we analyzed the data by SAS(Statistical Analysis System). The data which were not answered at each item were excluded in the analysis of each item.
RESULTS
Among the 270 women, thirties were 98 persons(36.3%), forties were 115 persons(42.6%). The women who had never been taken Pap smear before were 34.6%. At the age performed Pap smear first, 30-39 years old was most common as of 39.8%. In the interval of Pap smear among the performed, 2 years interval was 36.8%. The medical facility usually being performed Pap smear was obstetrics and gynecological clinic as of 49.7%. At the opinion of int,erval which they think they should take Pap smear, the women answered that 1 year interval was appropriate were 50.7% and the opinions of the experienced group were statistically different from those of the non-experienced group(P<0.01). Gynecological findings showed normal in 74.8%, the cytological results of Pap smear showed class I as of 88.9%, class II 6.3%, class III 4.4% and class IV 0.4%.
CONCLUSIONS
Almost of them knew correctly the appropriate interval of Pap smear they should take, but the practice rate was very low. They had good results in the final cytological results of Pap smear, but the cervical cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in Korean women until now. So they should continuously get public informations and be educated to take Pap smear at the appropriate interval for the reduction of death due to cervical cancer.

MeSH Terms

Female
Humans
Obstetrics
Physicians, Family
Uterine Cervical Neoplasms
Surveys and Questionnaires